The present invention relates to an automatic part insertion machine for automatically inserting the leads of various electronic and electric components or parts into specified insertion holes of printed circuit boards.
The various prior art automatic part insertion machines may be classified in general into two types. In one type, a table upon which is placed a printed circuit board is displaced in mutually perpendicular directions; that is, the X- and Y- directions by a numerical control system so that specified lead insertion holes of the printed circuit board may be brought to the part insertion position immediately below a part insertion head. The electronic and electric parts or components to be mounted on the printed circuit boards are stocked in the part insertion head according to a programmed sequence. Alternatively, they are fed to the part insertion head from the exterior thereof according to a programmed sequence. In either case, the electronic and electric parts or components which are mounted on the printed circuit boards by the part insertion head must be the same in size and shape. This type of machine is advantageous only where a relatively limited number of electronic and electrical parts or components are to be mounted on the printed circuit boards, but is disadvantageous from an economical standpoint when a relatively large number of electronic and electrical parts or components are to be mounted.
Furthermore, the automatic part insertion machines of the type described are not adapted to be arranged in one row so as to provide an effective, efficient and well coordinated printing circuit board production line, mainly because the time interval required for mounting a required number of electronic and electrical parts or components varies from one to another of the part insertion heads.
In the other type of part insertion machine, a plurality of part insertion heads are arranged in one array so that each of them may mount specified electronic or electrical parts or components on printed circuit boards as the latter are transferred from one to another of the part insertion heads or stations. This system is advantageous in mass production of printed circuit boards, but requires a longer production line and a large installation space. Also, readjustments of these machines to handle different electronic or electric parts or components are in general time-consuming and difficult.